Machine for cutting out side seams of old metal cans.



UNITED STATE-s Patented January 31, 1905.

PATENT- OFFICE.

BERNHARD E. FERNOW, OF ITHACA, NEW YORK.

MACHINE Fon CUTTING oUT SIDE sEAIvIs oF OLD IvIETALoANs.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Iatent No. 781,508, dated January 31, '1905.

Applicativi: tied August 4, 1903. serai No. 168,162.

To (t/Z whom it may concern:

This machine is designed to shear' out thev side seam or a similar strip from the body of 'old sheet-metal cans, thereby providing an opening for the insertion of cutters to remove the heads and enable the body of the can to be recovered in the form of a squared sheet. The machine comprises a base for supporting the can, a standard carrying parallel station` ary cutters, and a vertical]y-reciprocating cut- .ting-tool having a beveled point and cutting edges which coperate with the edges of the fixed cutters to shear the metal body.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

I Figure 1 is a front elevation of the machine,

and Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line II II of Fig. 1. g

The machine comprises a base 1, to which is secured a transverse vertical standard 2.

. The base and standard may be of wood. Steel versely through the tool.

cutters 3 3 withl adjacent beveled cutting edges are adjustably` bolted to one face of the standard. The cutting-tool 11, a square steel rod` is arranged to reciprocate in a vertical angular groove in one side of the standard and in-'alinement with the space between the fixed cutters, being retained in place by the guidesv 5. A spiral spring surrounds that -portion of the tool between the guides 5, bearing at its lower end against the lower guide and at its upper end against a pin 7, extending trans- The lowerend of the tool 8 is beveled rearwardly to apoint,

thus providing a knife or cutter having three triangular faces. This knife may be aremovable piece to facilitate sharpening'. The two its side seam 10 lies between the fixed cutters. By forcing down the cutting-tool the cutting edges at the sides ofthe beveled face 8, cop erating with the beveled edges of the cutters '3 3', shear out the seam or similar portion 10 of the body of the can, the knife being received in a recess 11 in the base of the ma- Achine when the cutting-tool is fullyv depressed. The pointedv end of the knife and its beveled face 8 hold the can, closely against the fixed cutters as the tool descends. nal opening left by the removal of the side The longitudil seam ora similar strip serves for the insertion v of cutters by which the heads are subsequently removed, the body of the can being thus recovered for further use. erably employed to cut oli" the heads'is shown. and claimed in my application, Serial No. 226,700, filed September 30, 1901i.

I claimw I 1. A machine for cutting out the side seam of sheet-metal cans, comprising a pair of cutters having cutting edges arranged to bear against the can-body at each side of the seam, and a tool having knife-edges in position to coperate with said cutters and shear out the seam, said tool being reciprocable relatively to said cutters, as set forth.

2. A machine for cutting out the side seam of sheet-metal cans, comprising a pair of cutters having cutting edges arranged t0 bear against the can-body at each side of the seam,

tively to said cutters, as set forth.

A. A machine for cutting out the side seam of sheet-metal cans. comprising a base to sup. port the can, a standard carrying a pair of `cutters with cutting edges arranged to bear The machine prefl and a tool having a beveled point with lateral IOO against the can-body at each side of the seam, said standard slotted to receive the seam between the cutters, and a tool arranged to reciprocate on Said standard, said tool having knife-edges in position to cooperate with said cutters and shear out the seam, as set forth.

5. A machine for cutting out the side seam of sheet-metal cans, comprising a base to support the can, a standard carrying a pair of cutters with cutting edges arranged to bear against the can-body at each side of the seam, said standard slotted to receive the seam between the cutters, and a tool arranged to reciprocate on said standard` said tool having a beveled point with lateral knife-edges in position to Cooperate with .said cutters and shear out the seam, as set forth.

6. A machine for cutting out the side seam ciprocate on said standard, said tool haring a beveled point with triangular faces and lateral knife-edges in position to cooperate with said cutters and shear out the seani, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signatu re in presence of two witnesses.

BERNHARD E. FERNOlV.

Witnesses CHARLES Gr. SIGNOR, O. GERTRUDE HAs'r. 

